Button, button who's addicted to buttons?

I've been developing a new addiction recently - buttons. Particularly French buttons. Since the Art Nouveau Stile Floreal came out so beautifully, I've been trolling ebay for more. Doesn't matter that's not where I bought the Paris button from, it's the easiest. But I'm leaning more towards Etsy these days after losing a button I wanted so badly in an ebay auction. I hate those auction snipers!

I'm working on expanding the Art Nouveau Series but I want a particular look - the "whiplash."

Can I really be held accountable if when looking for French buttons, I find others I love? Like the French lyre buttons above. Saw them and really tried to pass them over. Afterall, they aren't flowers and they're aren't obviously Art Nouveau. But something about them was charming and I had to have them! So, I find myself with several more buttons than planned but I'm sure they'll find their way into my work somehow.

How about you? In pursuing a particular interest, do you find yourself sidetracked because you've been charmed?

I venture into a mold....

Today is a new adventure for me. I know it's a well trodden path but it's one that I've never taken a venture on. It's mold making.

Yup, except for a complete-failure-mold I made in a fusing class a few years ago, and probably because of the complete-failure-mold, I've never tried to make a mold again. I just figured it went into the same category as clay - Cindy=not very good.

But the allure of creating an Art Noveau style pendant has just been too strong for me. I bought this antique button from the local "Button Lady" who infrequently shows up at the local flea market to sell her treasures.

OMG - don't you LOVE it?!? There's French written on the back of it and I had to have it. I'm pretty sure I paid $25-35 for it, but it's just so beautiful, I had to have it. Nevermind I had no idea what I'd do with it at the time.



So last week, I decided it was time to try my hand once again at mold making. I bought the sculpey mold clay awhile back. It was just the thing I needed. I read the directions and an online tutorial. I collected the materials I needed: work surface (the good part of an old shower curtain spread over my favorite tablecloth), baby powder and corn starch ( you can use either, I ended up using the corn starch), various buttons and the sculpey.

I planned to try out other buttons before my French one but I was so excited, I just went for it. I dusted the French button with cornstarch using a paintbrush and pressed it into the mold.





What do you think? I think it came out very nicely!

I learned a couple of things - the mold making sculpey is alot softer and becomes mush in your warm hands so don't work it too long. Refrigeration is good!

If the molding clay gets too warm and you can't get your button out cleanly, put it in the frig or freezer.

If some of the molding compound is left in your button, put it in the frig then to clean it, take it to your kitchen sink and spray it with your dishwashing sprayer. Maker sure the water is cold. If you don't have a sprayer, you can run it under the faucet but turn up the water so you get a good strong stream of water on it. You could always use a garden hose if you have it too.

I'm glad I finally took the mold path :-) It opens up some new possibilities for my work - glass and metal together!

So have you taken an adventure? Have you tried a well worn path but it's new for you?

Uniquely Mine for $20

When frozen out of my unheated glass studio, I keep creating to keep the inspiration flowing for when the studio thaws out. Curious about cashmere, I bought a few skeins of Debbie Bliss 100% Cashmere yarn on sale at Webs. I wanted to create a one of a kind piece so I made my own crochet pattern.


Such lovely yarn deserved something special. So I hunted around until I found the perfect finishing touch - a lovely artist made button called A Button Succeeding from Mamacita Beadworks on Etsy.


There's no one with a scarf like mine - created with my own pattern and topped off with a lovely art button. The best part is that it cost me $20!